Talk:Sound

UPDATE (Jan. 29, 2006)

In 2005, the tops were suspended from the Disorient Express, but we still needed a support truck to carry our subs. We also towed a full-sized hitched generator behind the DeX. This year, there is much enthusiasm on the Puddle to tow a small trailer behind the DeX that holds both a smaller generator and the subs; with numerous possibilities for camouflaging them into rolling artworks.

UPDATE (March 14, 2005)

We have now acquired THREE new Mackie SRS 1500 Subs. That gives us four total, which is a lot of bass for the middle of the desert. Next acquisition target: two Mackie 1521 tops...stay tuned!

2005 preliminary thoughts on sound

by The Bass

In past years, we've rented big honking systems from JK Sound in San Francisco.

On the plus side, lots of JK peeps have been on the playa, they've helped us a bunch, and we've sounded fantastic.

On the downside, it's EXPENSIVE - about $4k for sound rental in 2004 and $6k for the system in 2003.

There have also been some mutterings that there might be TOO MUCH SOUND in Disorient - at least, too much for anyone to sleep very comfortably.

Finally - there's just no way we can lug around such a massive sound system on the Di5orient Express. Too Freakin' Big!

THEREFORE....

My plan is to get a bunch of Mackie gear. It's robust, it's portable, it's modular, and it sounds pretty freaking good.

Right now I have one SRS1500 sub and two SRM 450 tops.

We could have a respectable little dancefloor with just one more sub and 3 more tops (so we could use one as a DJ monitor). Two subs and 5 more tops would be even better. And so forth.

And then there are the big Mackie subs and tops. Yum!

I am no sound engineer. But I think if we get enough of this Mackie stuff, we can get it sounding pretty good. Maybe not as good as a JK system -- but probably good enough for a lot of happiness.

Comments/edits welcome!



A smaller, more portable and modular system will be not only be easier to mount and move, it will be easier to position. The JK stacks were too gargantuan to even aim.